Friday, July 24, 2015

Delila- Day 24

This month I'll be trying to share last month's notes from the She Reads Truth blog- Women in the OT. Mostly just a cut and paste from Instagram. I may not share all the days. But some.

If you read through the study or are just starting to, leave me a comment and let me know how it's going. I can pray for you also.

Delilah

Day 24

I have a hard time with Delilah, and Samson both.

How can she be soo cruel and disregard a man that LOVES her so?

How can he be so dim witted?

Then I think there are many times I have treated my loved ones poorly, sure I have never sold them out for silver. But always treated them kindly? No, not always. With respect? No... With love? Sadly, no.

And Samson, oh the things we do for love. I think some of us spend a lot of time falling in and out of love with the wrong people. Many times we stay too long, stay for selfish reasons. Me, me, me. What can you do for me? What can you give ME? What can I get out of this. Many times we GIVE too much. Things that ought not be given away so freely. Is that so different than Samson?

When I look at myself, I see myself in both Samson and Delilah. It's really ugly. Thank God for grace. Thank God for new mercies EVERY morning.

Sure I am not a Judge endowed with strength in the sense Samson was. But I/we have been given much. So much. God has given us new life through Christ crucified. Eternal life, grace, mercy, salvation. I can't sit here and say that I have never betrayed God. That I have never turned my back and chose sin over Him. Even the smallest sin taints us. A little leaven... I don't like saying it, I don't like admitting it. But HE knows. HE is the faithful one in this relationship. He is the one that is ever faithful, long suffering, gentle, kind, abounding in love. Because I fail. And he knows I will.

Remember in Gen 15, when Abraham and God made a blood oath? Abraham fell “into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him” (verse 12), God then passed through the middle of the carcasses that were in half. God alone. Because God alone keeps his promises. My flesh will fail, and so will yours. And when we do, we have a God, we have a Savior who is faithful and just to forgive us. To restore us. “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself” (Hebrews 6:13-18)

Hebrews 6:18 (AMP) :

18 This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us].

I find such great comfort in that. Because of God's faithfulness, because he loved me first, because HE NEVER FAILS. I cling to him desperately, seek to love and honor him.. and know that he is faithful even when I am not. He restores. HOLD FAST THE HOPE.